Legal Advocacy

If you have been harmed, we can help you

navigate your legal options.

What is a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO)?

Our advocates can help you file for a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO), a legal order that can help keep you safe from someone who has hurt or threatened you—like a current or former partner, spouse, or someone you live with.

If a judge grants the order, it can:

  • Tell the abusive person to stay away from you, your home, your job, or your children

  • Stop them from calling, texting, or messaging you

  • Make them move out of your home (if you live together)

  • Give you temporary custody of your children

  • Make them give up any guns they have

You can ask for a temporary order right away, and then go back to court about 10 days later for a full hearing. If the judge agrees, the final order can last up to one year—and you can ask to renew it if needed.

A DVPO is free to file.

Our legal advocacy program accepts clients on a walk-in basis. For same-day filing, we recommend that you come to our offices at the Durham Family Justice Center at 101 E. Morgan St. in Durham (close to the downtown library) as close to our opening time of 8:30 a.m. as possible.

Children are welcome in our office, but children can not be present in the courtroom.

Other legal services include help filing for victim compensation, the address confidentiality program, and being present while you make a police report to an officer at our office.

Unfortunately, we can not provide help in criminal matters, divorce, or custody cases.

For more information about legal advocacy, call our administrative line at 919-403-9425.